West Orange, NJ – RWJBarnabas Health, the largest, most comprehensive health care system in New Jersey, announced the appointment of Reverend Dr. DeForest “Buster” Soaries, Jr. to its Board of Trustees at the September Board Meeting. Rev. Soaries will serve a three-year term providing valuable guidance and experience to ensure the highest level and quality of care across the communities in which RWJBarnabas Health serves.

“We are extremely pleased that Reverend Soaries has joined our Corporate Board of Trustees,” stated Jack Morris, Chairman of the RWJBarnabas Health Board. As a current member of the Board of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Reverend Soaries devotes his energies to improving the lives of the patients we serve. His experience and passion will help to foster meaningful initiatives that will enable us to continue to improve the health and wellness of our communities.”

Rev. Soaries serves the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey. Since 1990, Reverend Soaries has served as Senior Pastor for the church, leading a congregation of 7,000 members by providing sermons, spiritual guidance and vital church resources to the community. Reverend Soaries has written seven books, the most recent being “Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom” and he has taught at Rutgers University, Drew University & Kean University.

Earlier this year, Reverend Soaries received the 2018 Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers’ Award. In his many years of giving back to his community, he served as a Commissioner of the United States Election Assistance Commission. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2004, Reverend Soaries was entrusted with managing the distribution of $2.3 billion to states for the Help America Vote Act. From 1999 to 2002, he served as New Jersey Secretary of State.

Reverend Soaries earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fordham University, a Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary. He currently resides in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.

ABOUT RWJBarnabas HealthRWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering nine counties with five million people. The system includes eleven acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, RWJUH New Brunswick, RWJUH Somerset in Somerville, RWJUH Hamilton, RWJUH Rahway and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston; three acute care children’s hospitals and a leading pediatric rehabilitation hospital (Children’s Specialized Hospital) with its multiple outpatient centers, a freestanding 100-bed behavioral health center, two trauma centers, a satellite emergency department, ambulatory care centers, geriatric centers, the state’s largest behavioral health network, comprehensive home care and hospice programs, fitness and wellness centers, retail pharmacy services, a medical group, multi-site imaging centers and two accountable care organizations. RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest private employer – with more than 33,000 employees, 9,000 physicians and 1,000 residents and interns.

RWJBarnabas Health recently announced a partnership with Rutgers University to create New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration will align RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research and clinical activities, including those at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. The alliance will result in a multi-specialty group that will be one of the largest medical groups in the country.